It was an incredible day celebrating the 104th anniversary of Girl Scouting (our birthday!) at Linden Ponds’ Oakleaf Clubhouse in Hingham. Nearly 70 local Girl Scouts joined retirement community residents for a women’s history presentation by GSEM museum volunteer Nancy Marshall. Board member and museum volunteer Lynn Cutter hosted a trivia game with prizes, and an open mic session allowed guests to share their personal memories of Girl Scouting. Brownie Troop 69134 greeted guests with yellow daffodils and orchestrated a very special sing-along.

Brownie Troop 69134 greeted guests with yellow daffodils

This joyous celebration of our 104th birthday would not have been possible if not for the initiative and incredible support of Michelle Duane, who wanted to have a gathering at her mother’s retirement community in Hingham after hearing about the one last year at Brooksby. We are so grateful for our special volunteers, who created an event that the residents won’t soon forget. In fact, one guest remarked to Lynn, “I am in the beginnings of dementia and reliving [my Girl Scout] memories today—this event made me feel like myself again.”

Many alumnae attendees shared with The Patriot Ledger how Girl Scouting positively impacted their lives, and we love this response from Sara SaintOurs, who earned the First Class Award during her Girl Scouting days in the 50s:

‘I learned a lot that really carried me through in adult life,’ she said. ‘I learned to accept challenges. I learned to be responsible and creative. I learned to organize. It was terrific.’ She also talked about ascending the glacier atop Mount Anderson in Washington State with her troop. ‘We were gone five days and we had to backpack everything,’ SaintOurs said. ‘In those days, (hiking backpacks) were made of wood and canvas. The pack itself was pretty heavy, and we were only 12 years old. …That was quite a challenge.’

Thank you to all our sisters in Girl Scouting (volunteers, alumnae, Girl Scouts, troop volunteers) and event attendees for celebrating our 104th birthday in such a profound way. We are moved to see one generation of Girl Scouts sharing and empowering another. Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout.